Sunday 22 May 2011

6 weeks

The babies are 6 weeks old now,  and we've now introduced them to treadle feeders.   Last year we were losing feed on the allotment to vermin, so we decided to switch to treadle feeders.  We bought some relatively inexpensive ones, which worked, but they weren't suitable for Roo.  So, I bought one of the Grandpa's Feeders (GFs)for the Breeding flock.    


It was fantastic. Really worth paying all the extra money for.   I quickly bought a second one for the Laydees,  and we kept the original treadle feeders for last year's chicks.   This year, I decided to replace the chicks' treadle feeders with 2 Grandpa's Feeders. 


We decided we'd introduce them to the treadle system while they were here in the garden, so it's one less new thing for them to have to get to grips with when they move to the allotment.   They are, of course, too light to operate the treadle at the moment, but it doesn't matter.   For the few days, you have the treadle pinned open anyway, just to get them comfortable with eating out of it; and then you have it pinned part way open for a week or so,  so they get used to getting on the treadle and the whole thing going *clunk*.     

We've currently got one large and one small GF in the garden.  It didn't take long before they were happily eating from it 




Although some of them wanted to investigate the back to  see how it worked..

...and others just wanted to get on top...


...or inside...











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